Explorer Spotlight: This Full-Time RVing Couple is on an Epic National Park Tour
Howard and Katelyn Newstate couldn’t have a more fitting last name. This dynamic duo has explored every corner of North America and a whopping 34 national parks. While this might sound like more adventure than most people experience in a lifetime, the Newstate Nomads are just getting started. And the best part? They share the riveting details of their travels on YouTube and social media for all to enjoy.
We got the chance to interview Howard and Katelyn about the pros and cons of full-time RV life, some of their favorite places, tips for RVing with dogs, and much more. Read on for plenty of practical advice and a story that is sure to inspire.
La Mesa RecVan: Can you tell us a bit about yourselves?
Howard & Katelyn:
We're Howard and Katelyn Newstate (it isn't just a clever travel account name, it is our name), better known as the Newstate Nomads on YouTube and social media. We've been traveling full-time both domestically and internationally since 2018 alongside our travel pups, Piper, Ella, and Scout. Across North America, we’ve been on a journey of over 100,000 miles in our 2019 Winnebago Navion 24D RV. We also often trade our wheels for wings, flying internationally to explore the cultures and cuisines of other countries. Katelyn is a former news reporter/anchor and public relations manager and Howard has a background in high-end media production and marketing innovation. Together, we try to bring unique storytelling at the highest quality to each adventure we share with our community of fellow travelers and explorers.
LMRV: How did you get introduced to the RV lifestyle?
Howard: Katelyn grew up RVing with her family, starting with a conversion van, then a pop-up trailer, and eventually a travel trailer. I grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, and never saw an RV in person until my 20s when I rented one while living in Los Angeles for a weekend trip to the mountains. It always felt like a “wouldn’t it be cool if someday…” scenario of traveling while working, but the stars finally aligned for us in 2018. We were both already self-employed with remote clients living in Miami Beach, so why not take the opportunity to try full-time RVing for a year? One year became two, and then five years of travel. Now we don’t see an end date in sight for the future.
LMRV: What model of RV did you choose, and why? What are your favorite features of your motorhome?
Katelyn: We chose a 1219 Winnebago View 24D. It sounds cheesy, but after looking at hundreds of RVs in person, I truly had that ah-ha moment walking in! It was the first one I could actually see us spending an extended amount of time in. I knew it was “the one.” Since we work full-time from the road, we knew that having a dedicated work space was important for us, and I really wanted a dry bath.
We love the flexibility and space of our Navion. The Murphy bed feature keeps the bed tucked away until we need to sleep, but always ready at the touch of a button. For only 25ft, our RV feels very spacious! We've also upgraded our electrical system for even more off-grid capabilities. Going “out there” is a favorite of ours. In fact, we camped without hookups for 125 straight days in 2020! Because of this, we've added 600 AH of lithium batteries and 800 watts of solar on the roof to give us lots of flexibility in where and how we camp.
LMRV: What is the best part of traveling in an RV?
H&K: We love the idea of traveling WITH your home. Rather than checking in and out of vacation properties and hotels, we get all the comforts of our home and our bed each night–PLUS cuddles with the pups.
LMRV: What is the most challenging or surprising aspect of the lifestyle?
H&K: Slowing down! Not so much with driving, but slowing our pace of exploring. Too fast and you spend more time traveling than exploring the destinations. We went way too fast our first year on the road, when we visited all four corners of North America in one year: Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, Key West, San Diego, and then Alaska. It felt like we were rushing for no good reason, and once we embraced a slower pace it’s been relatively smooth traveling ever since.
LMRV: You've been to 34 national parks so far. Tell us about your interest and experiences in these beautiful places!
Howard: Katelyn and I are big fans of national parks. Growing up, my family visited Great Smoky Mountains NP every summer on the way to a family reunion in South Carolina. My grandmother was a trailblazer and early hiker in this very same national park, and she continued hiking with us well into her 80s.
When it was time for our maiden RV voyage in 2018, Katelyn and I decided to make Acadia the first national park of the route and celebrate by seeing the first sunrise in the United States (Cadillac Mountain is the highest and furthest east point you can see sunrise in the U.S.). We drove up to the top of Cadillac a couple of hours before sunrise with Piper and Ella to stake our claim for a perfect view. It was glorious. Such a fantastic shared experience with 100 or so people that chilly morning.
After that, we were hooked. In Alaska, we’ve visited several remote parks, including hiking on a glacier in Wrangell-St Alias NP, taking a boat tour of Kenai-Fjords NP, and experiencing backcountry hiking on a ranger-led discovery hike at Denali NP.
When the opportunity came to plan our 2023 travels, we pitched the idea to Winnebago of celebrating their new national park themed RV (the Winnebago Vista NPF) with an epic tour of all 51 parks in the lower 48 states. They jumped at the opportunity, and we set off in the Vista NPF and our Navion, exploring and meeting the people doing incredible work to support our national parks.
In 2023, we released episodes on 34 parks, with plans for even more in 2024. A couple of highlights were taking the famous Red Bus tour up Going-To-The-Sun Road at Glacier NP, seeing the island fox (a species only found in Channel Islands NP), meeting some of the rangers who study and protect the Devil's Hole Pupfish inside Death Valley NP, riding a wagon out to a cowboy cookout in Yellowstone, and hiking the difficult (but glorious) Old Rag Trail at Shenandoah National Park. We like to challenge ourselves, and what better way than attempting to experience all of our amazing national parks?
LMRV: What are three of your favorite destinations across the U.S., and why?
H&K: Hands down, we love RVing in Alaska. In fact, we’ve driven the route twice! Both in 2019 and 2021 we made an extended road trip covering different areas of Canada along the way and stayed in Alaska for several months. Alaska delivers excellent camping of all types and for all sizes of RVs (with inexpensive public and private campgrounds for exploring the cities and towns). It’s one of the most popular series on our YouTube channel. For those planning a trip, we also have a guide available on our website which includes over 150 stops on the companion interactive map.
Second would be camping in the public lands around Colorado. There are incredible free camping options across the state, including several organized campgrounds which are publicly operated with picnic tables, fire rings, and fantastic views. The activities are endless, with beautiful scenery and fantastic dining in mountain towns.
Third would be exploring Florida in the winter. Every year, we end up here (currently we’re exploring the natural springs in Southwestern Florida), and always find something new to discover. From the beaches to the rivers, mangroves to the manatees, the natural beauty is abundant. We love visiting the cities and towns of Florida, with unique activities, dining, and culture, too!
LMRV: Do you have any advice or tips for RV traveling with pets?
H&K: Since we travel full-time with our three dogs, their comfort and safety are always top of mind. First, to keep them comfortable, we try to travel in milder climates year-round, and also now have the ability to run our A/C from our lithium batteries. Even before our power upgrades, we always set our Max-Air fan thermostat to automatically open and vent out if the temperature begins to rise. We also use a simple baby monitor camera paired with a hotspot that will send us push notifications if the temperature or humidity goes outside of a range we set. That way we can return to the RV quickly if action is needed to keep Piper, Ella, and Scout safe.
Second, we shop in bulk from Costco for their dog food. By buying larger sizes, we have plenty of supply and notice before we run out, and can consistently buy the same dog food to avoid the side effects of switching what they eat.
LMRV: What would you say to people who are curious about joining this adventurous lifestyle?
H&K: We would say that RVing has fundamentally changed the way we experience the world and that anyone can do it. Whether quick weekend trips, longer seasons, or full-time, traveling by RV brings more of the comforts of home to wherever you roam. Start off by renting an RV or two, go to RV shows, join Facebook groups, and–of course–use our videos to help plan your trips. You'll quickly discover that RVing comes with a vibrant community of fellow explorers from all walks of life and backgrounds, always ready to lend a hand and share a campfire.
LMRV: What’s next for you?
H&K: This year we are trying out new Winnebago RVs to figure out what’s next for us! After five years and over 100,000 miles in our Navion, we’re testing several new View/Navion floor plans for Winnebago (as Brand Ambassadors for the legendary RV brand, it’s a great perk and opportunity) to decide which one we will purchase at the end of the year. Think of it like “Househunters” but for RVs–comparing and trying out all the new features for what will be our home on wheels for hopefully the next five years!
